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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

MANNASTORES RECRUITING! CUSTOMER CARE OFFICER

SUPERSTARS ONLY
Don’t even apply unless you are an overachiever and can prove it. Come and build an empire within our fine, progressive company. We are an international procurement/logistics company with offices in London and Lagos, but we don’t hire qualifications; we hire top performers. We provide unparalleled opportunity for career growth for the successful candidate. Young or old, if you have the stuff we’ll know. Generous remuneration and bonuses apply! Send your resume to our email address admin@mannastores.com or call our General Manager on 08145786166 or our London office +447404904612 for more information.

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Monday, December 30, 2013

Find Your Moon


Let us leave our orbit of 2013, with all its struggles and its joys and memories, and let us fully enter a new moment, setting our sights on further stars, charting the course for our highest selves and contributions. Should we wish to change, let us be bold once again.

Yes, let us be brave and find our moon, chasing a vision so big and unimaginable that the mere thought of it brings sweat to our palms, stuns our heart with anxiety, yet never fails to lift our soul with purpose. Under no circumstances shall we settle on challenges that fail to inspire; let them be so real and meaningful to us that we rise each day and pursue them with full intensity, until we have victory or we die.

Let us be more disciplined and true, each day taking action, testing things out, failing, getting up again, failing again, learning, rising and rising and rising ever more. This is the stuff of commitment and character, the demands of real contribution.

Let us have vision now to break the boundaries of all that we have ever known, lift above our own competencies and insecurities, take flight fueled only by courage and love, soar high in our service to the world.

Let us remember and draw inspiration from the words of a man who, in 1962, urged us to do the same:

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

To be sure, all this costs us all a good deal of money… Space expenditures will soon rise some more … for we have given this program a high national priority—even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.

But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, reentering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun—almost as hot as it is here today—and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out—then we must be bold.

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.”

Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.
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Monday, December 23, 2013

8 tips to help you stay safe online and prevent being scammed.

  1. Ensure that you know the identity, location and contact details of the online retailer.
  2.  Find out more about the company's reputation
  3. Find out about billing, guarantees and delivery before you buy. 
  4. Read the site's privacy policy
  5. Take care when entering information
  6. Record purchase details.
  7. Be aware of email scams designed to part you from your credit card information.
  8. Only use secure websites if you are transferring funds via the site.

Friday, December 20, 2013

How to dress for Christmas dinner


If you have been scrambling to finish up your holiday shopping, chances are you haven't had time to give thought to what you will wear for Christmas dinner.

In cooler climates, a festive sweater would fit the bill. However, our warm Tampa climate calls for something a little less heavy. Here are a few suggestions to keep you looking stylish at your Christmas dinner:

Sparkle: the holidays always make me think of twinkling lights, so sequins are my top choice. A sequin-embellished tunic over a pair of leggings combines a festive feel with comfort. Other options include a sequin tank under a suit jacket, or a sequin skirt with a button-down blouse for more formal affairs.

Shine: Satin and silk fabrics are perfect for the season and our Florida weather. Consider tucking a bright-colored satin blouse into your favorite dark washed jeans or black dress pants. Tuck the blouse into a pencil skirt for dressier occasions.

Metallic: The season isn't all about red and green. Consider gold, silver, pewter and brass colored garments to make your outfit glow. If you don't have a top or bottom in a metal hue, consider using one of the tones in your accessories. Add a chain belt, layers of chain necklaces, or an arm full of metallic bangle bracelet’s to show the spirit of the season.

Whatever you choose to wear, keep the focus on one key piece: the top, the bottom, or the accessory. And only go with one of the above trends in your look -- sparkle, shine or metallic – not all three. If you do too much it could come off looking like you tried too hard.

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What to wear to the office Christmas party

What to wear to the office Christmas party: tips
1. Think of your centre piece garment as an unadorned Christmas tree. It looks fabulous on its own but you know that with just the right amount and type of decoration you will light up the room. In a good way.

2. Those decorations, those “baubles” need precision placement. Not unlike if a Christmas tree is decorated “correctly”. In our house “correctly” is the only way a Christmas tree is to be decorated. Just ask Mr SY and his apprentice, the 15-year-old daughter. You don’t want to over-state the statement. Go big earrings and bangles OR big necklace and cocktail ring.

3. There needs to be a comfort factor. We’re not talking trackies but you don’t want to be fiddling with the lining of your dress and worrying about VPL should you get trapped in a deep and meaningful with your boss. Or in my case, my husband’s boss. Not cool.

4. If buying something new, buy something you know you can wear again. Better still, have the next occasion earmarked for its next outing. Just dress it up a different way.

5. Be grateful we don’t live in a cold climate where cheesey Christmas jumpers are making are return to style. Don’t laugh, I read it here, so it must be true.

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Latest UK trends that fit Nigerian fahion






mannastores can deliver all this to your doorstep.
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Friday, December 13, 2013

7 Money-Saving, Stress-Less Christmas and New Year Holiday Shopping Tips



7 Money-Saving, Stress-Less Christmas and New Year Holiday Shopping Tips

How to survive the holiday shopping season without busting your budget or going crazy.

You have worked tirelessly for a complete twelve months, and you’re ready for a long vacation. Unfortunately, the Christmas shopping season kicks off with a vengeance, there is major pressure on what on what to buy for yourself, family members, spouses, relatives and so forth, even before you’ve had time to do a personal stock-taking. Don’t stress out yet—we’ve are about to share some tips for saving money and staying sane while navigating holiday shopping madness.

1.       Make a List

Write down everyone you plan to buy a gift for, no matter how small the gift may be. Include ideas of what to give each person, along with the maximum amount you’re willing to spend. Don’t forget to list the people who will receive holiday tips, such as your doorman, babysitter, and mail carrier. This will help you manage your holiday budget.

2.       Start Early

Don’t wait until a day before Christmas to start buying holiday gifts. Keep your eyes open all year round for items friends and family would like; it’s often when you’re not looking for something specific that you stumble across the perfect gift for Dad or your best friend Jenny. Once December hits, you’ll be glad that you already have some people crossed off your list. Just make sure to keep all your advance gifts in a designated (and hidden, if necessary) spot so that you don’t forget a purchase you made months in advance.

3.       Do Online Research

If you’re unsure of which specific item to buy (for example, you want to buy your husband a digital camera but don’t know what brand or model is best), search for reputable online reviews. You’ll have to pay a small subscription fee, but Consumerreports.org has hundreds of expert reviews on everything from laptops to baby strollers to breakfast cereals. Or check sites with user reviews and ratings, such as Amazon.com or Cnet.com, to find out which products have the most positive feedback. To find the best online price, use a comparison shopping site, such as Pricegrabber.com.

4.       Hit Up Black Friday (If You Dare)

If you’re looking for great deals and aren’t afraid of battling large crowds, the day after Thanksgiving is a shopping must. Get a head start on fellow shoppers by checking a website like Blackfriday.org before the big day. The site compiles Black Friday ads from various stores and updates the information as it becomes available, allowing you to plan out which stores to hit and what products you intend to buy. Some stores even offer advance “Black Friday” sales before Thanksgiving, so it’s worth it to peruse the listings early. Be warned, though—some so-called “Black Friday” deals aren’t any cheaper than the regular sale price, so do some extra research before you camp out in the store parking lot at 2 a.m

5.       Take Advantage of Cyber Monday

A spin-off of Black Friday that debuted in 2005, Cyber Monday is reputedly the biggest online shopping day of the holiday season—and accordingly, many online retailers will offer special discounts on their products. It takes place the Monday after Black Friday, though you can find online bargains all year long at Cybermonday.com, the official Cyber Monday website. On the actual day, the site will feature extra discounts and hourly specials to further entice online shoppers. To stay even more in the know during the holidays, sign up to receive emails from your favorite stores to get advance notice about sales and insider-only deals.

6.       Get No-Cost Holiday Shipping

Last-minute shoppers, here’s a gift for you. On December 17, 2012, more than 1,000 online merchants, like Best Buy and L.L.Bean, will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve. (Go to freeshippingday.com for details.) Prefer to get your Christmas shopping done early? Peruse this list of popular e-retailers that offer gratis shipping now through December 20.

Argos.co.uk, shopdirect.com, Amazon.com  (orders of $25 or more),  Apple.com(orders of $50 or more)Barnesandnoble.com 
(orders of $25 or more)Bloomingdales.com (orders of $150 or more)Drugstore.com
(orders of $25 or more)DSW.com(with free membership, or orders of $35 or more) Kohls.com(no minimum)Landsend.com(orders of $50 or more) Macys.com(orders of $99 or more)


7.       Do It Yourself

There’s an abundance of homemade pickles, hand-knit hats, and handcrafted stationary these days, thanks to a growing obsession with all things crafty, artisanal, and homespun (just look at all the unique things for sale on Etsy.com). If you’re creatively inclined, avoid mall madness altogether and bake a batch of cookies, sew personalized tote bags, or make beautiful earrings for friends and family. If you need to learn a new skill, look into classes in your neighborhood or invest in a how-to book—there’s one for just about every craft out there.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Dont wait a minute more.

Never wait to the next minute because it may be too late, you can still place your order now and get it before xmas. www.mannastores.com

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

AWUFF SALES

AWUFF SALES. Be a part of the on going Christmas sales in UK. with up to 30% discount & receive before Christmas day. Order NOW. Visit www.mannastorers.com

Friday, December 06, 2013

Xmas offer

Dear Valued Customers.
Do you know you can still place your order and receive before Christmas? Hurry now and place your order and have a jolly good Christmas
Mannastores, Get Great Value

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R I P MADIBA MANDELA

R I P MADIBA MANDELA

World leaders have mourned the death of former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela describing him as one of the greatest man that lived in the 20th century.

Mandela passed on , Thursday, aged 95. His death was announced by incumbent President Jacob Zuma, who said, ““He is now resting … he is now at peace,”…“Our nation has lost its greatest son.”

Mandela ‘courageous and profoundly good’ – Obama
America’s first black president Barack Obama Thursday mourned Nelson Mandela as a “profoundly good” man who “took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice.”

Obama — who met the former South African president briefly only once in 2005, but was inspired to enter politics by the anti-apartheid hero’s example — paid a somber heartfelt tribute within 45 minutes of Mandela’s death being announced.

“We will not likely see the like of Nelson Mandela again,” Obama said in a televised statement, hailing his political hero for his “fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others.”

Obama said Mandela, in his journey from a “prisoner to a president,” transformed South Africa and “moved all of us.”

“He achieved more than could be expected of any man.”

“Today he’s gone home and we’ve lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth.

“He no longer belongs to us; he belongs to the ages.”
Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

A great light has gone out’, Cameron says of Mandela
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday said “a great light had gone out” following Nelson Mandela’s death as flags flew at half-mast at his Downing Street Office.

“Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death — a true global hero,” said Cameron.

“Across the country he loved they will be mourning a man who was the embodiment of grace,” he added.

“Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life. My heart goes out to his family — and to all in South Africa and around the world whose lives were changed through his courage.

“A great light has gone out in the world.”


Mandela ‘champion for human dignity and freedom’ – Clinton
Former US president Bill Clinton, who was in office when Nelson Mandela took power in South Africa, on Thursday mourned the death of a “champion for human dignity and freedom”.

“Today the world has lost one of its most important leaders and one of its finest human beings,” Clinton said in a statement.

“History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation,” he added.

Mandela ‘taught us how to come together’ – Desmond Tutu
South Africa’s archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu lauded his compatriot and fellow Nobel peace laureate Nelson Mandela Friday as the man who taught a deeply divided nation how to come together.

“Over the past 24 years Madiba taught us how to come together and to believe in ourselves and each other. He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison,” Tutu said marking Mandela’s passing.

Mandela a ‘giant for justice’ – Ban
UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Thursday hailed Nelson Mandela as a “giant for justice” who had also left his mark with a profound sense of human decency.

“Many around the world were influenced by his selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. He touched our lives in deeply personal ways,” Ban told reporters in tribute to Mandela, who died earlier Thursday aged 95.

“Nelson Mandela was a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration,” the UN secretary general added.

Minutes after the announcement of his death, the UN Security Council held a moment of silence in Mandela’s memory.

Ban met the South African anti-apartheid hero in February 2009, and said he had been particularly struck by Mandela’s “selflessness and deep sense of shared purpose.”

Ban said that he had repeatedly praised Mandela for his work in ending South Africa’s brutal system of dividing races.

Mandela was equally insistent in saying “there are hundreds and hundreds of known, unknown people, who have contributed to the ending of apartheid,” Ban said of the encounter.

“I was deeply touched and moved and inspired.”

Ban said that Africa and other parts of the world had endured centuries of suffering because of colonialism.

“Only because of such great men like Nelson Mandela” have people in Africa been able “to enjoy freedom and human dignity.”

Ban said he was “humbled” by Mandela’s acheivements.

“We have to learn from the wisdom and determination and commitment of President Mandela to make this world better for all.”

“I’m deeply grateful for what he has left during his lifetime to make this world just and fair and equal,” Ban said.

Mandela made racism stupid – Blair

Former prime minister Tony Blair said Mandela had made racism “not just immoral but stupid”.

“He was a wonderful man to be around, with a sharp wit, extraordinary political savvy and a lovely way of charming everyone in a building,” recalled Blair.

“Through his dignity, grace and the quality of his forgiveness, he made racism everywhere not just immoral but stupid; something not only to be disagreed with, but to be despised. In its place he put the inalienable right of all humankind to be free and to be equal,” he added.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the world’s Anglicans, mourned the loss of South Africa’s “greatest citizen and its father.”

“Nelson Mandela, fighting to the end, is freed to be with his God in joy and reward for his great service and sacrifice.

“We pray for his family, for his friends and for his country,” added the archbishop.

Irish prime minister Enda Kenny paid tribute to the “gift” of Mandela, and offered the country’s deepest sympathies to the people of South Africa.

“The name Mandela stirred our conscience and our hearts. It became synonymous with the pursuit of dignity and freedom across the globe,” he said in a statement.

“As we mark his passing, we give thanks for the gift of Nelson Mandela. We ask that his spirit continues to inspire, guide and enlighten us as we strive to bring freedom and dignity to the family of man, our brothers and sisters, across the world,” he added.

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Thursday, December 05, 2013

What is style?


Style is a response to the terror of invisibility and isolation -- a wish for inclusion.

In the process of working on the upcoming documentary Advanced Style, I have been thinking a lot about what motivates people to dress up. I was struck by the quote above while reading a book on the lives of three extraordinary women. For me, dressing up was always encouraged by parents, grandparents and people around. They saw it as an act of meaning and importance. My grandfather always said, "The way you dress is how the world sees you."

When I am walking around the city and looking for people to photograph, my eye is drawn to many different things. Sometimes it's a wonderful jacket, an exquisite hat, a knowing face, or a confident stance. What is most important to me is that the photos tell a story -- that they express a sense of vitality and spirit. I am a style expert, a fashion critic. I only seek to present a positive and inspired look at aging and style and show that many wonderful things exist beyond middle age.

Style means something different to each person who gets up in the morning and decides how they are going to look. While some may consider it a means of celebrating the self, a fight against invisibility, or an act of creative expression, others may simply get dressed without putting much thought into it. Motivation aside, for the people I photograph, style is a reflection and example of the care, passion, and energy that they invest and express in their daily lives.
Register with us at mannastores.com to buy good trends from any UK online stores that can make you achieve your dream Style and fashion.

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Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Still on banana


Description
Bananas are elliptically shaped fruits "prepackaged" by Nature, featuring a firm, creamy flesh gift-wrapped inside a thick inedible peel. The banana plant grows 10 to 26 feet in height and belongs to the family Musaceae. Banana fruits grow in clusters of 50 to 150, with individual fruits grouped in bunches, known as "hands," of 10 to 25 bananas.
Bananas abound in hundreds of edible varieties that fall under two distinct species: the sweet banana (Musa sapienta, Musa nana) and the plantain banana (Musa paradisiacal). Sweet bananas vary in size and color.
While we are accustomed to thinking of sweet bananas as having yellow skins, they can also feature red, pink, purple and black tones when ripe. Their flavor and texture range with some varieties being sweet while others have starchier characteristics. In the United States, the most familiar varieties are Big Michael, Martinique and Cavendish. Plantain bananas are usually cooked and considered more like a vegetable due to their starchier qualities; they have a higher beta-carotene concentration than most sweet bananas.
History
Bananas are thought to have originated in Malaysia around 4,000 years ago. From there, they spread throughout the Philippines and India, where in 327 B.C. Alexander the Great's army recorded them being grown.
Bananas were introduced to Africa by Arabian traders and discovered there in 1482 A.D. by Portuguese explorers who took them to the Americas, the place where the majority of bananas are now produced.
Bananas were not brought to the United States for sale in markets until the latter part of the 19th century and were initially only enjoyed by people in the seacoast towns where the banana schooners docked; because of the fruit's fragility, they were unable to be transported far.
Since the development of refrigeration and rapid transport in the 20th century, bananas have become widely available. Today, bananas grow in most tropical and subtropical regions with the main commercial producers including Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil.
How to Select and Store
Since bananas are picked off the tree while they're still green, it's not unusual to see them this color in the store. Base your choice of bananas depending upon when you want to consume them. Bananas with more green coloration will take longer to ripen than those more yellow in hue and/or with brown spots.
Bananas should be firm, but not too hard, bright in appearance, and free from bruises or other injuries. Their stems and tips should be intact. The size of the banana does not affect its quality, so simply choose the size that best meets your needs.
While bananas look resilient, they're actually very fragile and care should be taken in their storage. They should be left to ripen at room temperature and should not be subjected to overly hot or cold temperatures. Unripe bananas should not be placed in the refrigerator as this will interrupt the ripening process to such an extent that it will not be able to resume even if the bananas are returned to room temperature.
If you need to hasten the ripening process, you can place bananas in a paper bag or wrap them in newspaper, adding an apple to accelerate the process. Ripe bananas that will not be consumed for a few days can be placed in the refrigerator. While their peel may darken, the flesh will not be affected. For maximum flavor when consuming refrigerated bananas, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come back to room temperature.
For the most antioxidants, eat fully ripened fruit:
Research conducted at the University of Innsbruck in Austria suggests that as fruits fully ripen, almost to the point of spoilage, their antioxidant levels actually increase.
Key to the process is the change in color that occurs as fruits ripen, a similar process to that seen in the fall when leaves turn from green to red to yellow to brown— a color change caused by the breakdown and disappearance of chlorophyll, which gives leaves and fruits their green color.
Until now, no one really knew what happened to chlorophyll during this process, but lead researcher, Bernard Krutler, and his team, working together with botanists over the past several years, has identified the first decomposition products in leaves: colorless, polar NCCs (nonfluorescing chlorophyll catabolytes), that contain four pyrrole rings - like chlorophyll and heme.
After examining apples and pears, the scientists discovered that NCCs replace the chlorophyll not only in the leaves of fruit trees, but in their very ripe fruits, especially in the peel and flesh immediately below it.
"When chlorophyll is released from its protein complexes in the decomposition process, it has a phototoxic effect: when irradiated with light, it absorbs energy and can transfer it to other substances. For example, it can transform oxygen into a highly reactive, destructive form," report the researchers. However, NCCs have just the opposite effect. Extremely powerful antioxidants, they play an important protective role for the plant, and when consumed as part of the human diet, NCCs deliver the same potent antioxidant protection within our bodies. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2007 Nov 19;46(45):8699-8702.
Bananas can also be frozen and will keep for about 2 months. Either puree them before freezing or simply remove the peel and wrap the bananas in plastic wrap. To prevent discoloration, add some lemon juice before freezing. 

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

What is fashion?

  • Fashion is about how you dress, how you walk, and how you look, Depending on the outfit ur wearing, choose something for your face that compliments it. The worst thing in the world is a bad fashion day. How you dress includes shirts, pants, dresses, thongs, and shoes, How you walk includes your style and how you choose to express yourself by walking. How you look includes, your hair, and your face. Lets talk about hair. What ever mood you are in, show it with some wacky hairstyles. No hairstyle is ever wrong. As for your face, take the colors you are wearing and make them in to your face so your whole outfit goes with the flow and you're NOT the odd one out with the freaky sense of style. HOPE THIS HELPS!!!!!!
  •  
  • Mannastores.com will always be there to give you best fashion day always.
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What is Xmas?


The word Christmas comes from the old English "Cristes maesse" meaning Christ's Mass. The Holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The actual birthday of Jesus is not known; therefore, the early Church Fathers in the 4th century fixed the day around the old Roman Saturnalia festival (17 - 21 December), a traditional pagan festivity. The first mention of the birthday of Jesus is from the year 354 AD. Gradually all Christian churches, except Armenians who celebrate Christmas on January 6 (the date of the baptism of Jesus as well as the day of the three Magi), accepted the date of December 25th.
In American/English tradition, Christmas Day itself is the day for opening gifts brought by jolly old St. Nick. Many of our current American ideals about the way Christmas ought to be, derive from the English Victorian Christmas, such as that described in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

The caroling, the gifts, the feast, and the wishing of good cheer to all - these ingredients came together to create that special Christmas atmosphere.

The custom of gift-giving on Christmas goes back to Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Kalends. The very first gifts were simple items such as twigs from a sacred grove as good luck emblems. Soon that escalated to food, small items of jewelry, candles, and statues of gods. To the early Church, gift-giving at this time was a pagan holdover and therefore severely frowned upon. However, people would not part with it, and some justification was found in the original gift giving of the Magi, and from figures such as St. Nicholas. By the middle ages gift giving was accepted. Before then it was more common to exchange gifts on New Year's Day or Twelfth Night.

Santa Claus is known by British children as Father Christmas. Father Christmas, these days, is quite similar to the American Santa, but his direct ancestor is a certain pagan spirit who regularly appeared in medieval mummer's plays. The old-fashioned Father Christmas was depicted wearing long robes with sprigs of holly in his long white hair. Children write letters to Father Christmas detailing their requests, but instead of dropping them in the mailbox, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draft carries the letters up the chimney, and theoretically, Father Christmas reads the smoke. Gifts are opened Christmas afternoon.

From the English we get a story to explain the custom of hanging stockings from the mantelpiece. Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.

The custom of singing carols at Christmas is also of English origin. During the middle ages, groups of serenaders called waits would travel around from house to house singing ancient carols and spreading the holiday spirit. The word carol means "song of you." Most of the popular old carols we sing today were written in the nineteenth century.

The hanging of greens, such as holly and ivy, is a British winter tradition with origins far before the Christian era. Greenery was probably used to lift sagging winter spirits and remind the people that spring was not far away. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe is descended from ancient Druid rites. The decorating of Christmas trees, though primarily a German custom, has been widely popular in England since 1841 when Prince Albert had a Christmas tree set up in Windsor Castle for his wife Queen Victoria, and their children.

The word wassail is derived from the Anglo-Saxon phrase "waes hael," which means "good health." Originally, wassail was a beverage made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, nuts, eggs, and spices. It was served for the purpose of enhancing the general merriment of the season. Like many of the ancient customs, wassailing has a legend to explain its origin. It seems that a beautiful Saxon maiden named Rowena presented Prince Vortigen with a bowl of wine while toasting him with the words Waes hael. Over the centuries a great deal of ceremony had developed around the custom of drinking wassail. The bowl is carried into a room with great fanfare, a traditional carol about the drink is sung, and finally, the steaming hot beverage is served.

For many years in England, a roasted boar's head has been associated with Holiday feasting. The custom probably goes back to the Norse practice of sacrificing a boar at Yuletide in honor of the god Freyr. One story tells of a student at Oxford's Queen College who was attacked on Christmas Day by a wild boar. All he had in his hand to use as a weapon was his copy of Aristotle, so he shoved the book down the boar's throat. Wanting to retrieve his book, the student cut off the animal's head and brought it back to the college where it was served for Christmas din.
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Monday, December 02, 2013

Keshi smiles as FG gives nod for payment of salaries

 Super Eagles' coach, Stephen Keshi will be off to Brazil tomorrow for the 2014 FIFA world cup draw in smiles as the Federal Government is set to offset the backlog of unpaid salaries soon.

Nigeria's finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala has confirmed that approval has been given to the sports minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi to that effect.

“Mr. President is truly supportive of all the sports and is determined that the faces of all the sports will continue to change and everything they have brought on our table as regards sports has been taken care of and something will be done very soon”

Meanwhile, minister for sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has confirmed that he has received approval for the payment of Coach Stephen Keshi's salary.

”The President has shown a lot of commitment because anytime we go to him with a problem, he helps us solve it but on the issue of Keshi’s salary, I got the approval on Friday to pay his outstanding salaries”

Keshi hasn’t been paid since winning the 2013 African cup of nations for Nigeria in South Africa

You too can have a more brighter  smile with Mannastores when you do business with us.www.mannastores.com

Contituation on banana



Health Benefits

Creamy, rich, and sweet, bananas are a favorite food for everyone from infants to elders. Sports enthusiasts appreciate the potassium-power delivered by this high energy fruit. 

Cardiovascular Protection from Potassium and Fiber
Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis.
The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as bananas in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies. For example, researchers tracked over 40,000 American male health professionals over four years to determine the effects of diet on blood pressure. Men who ate diets higher in potassium-rich foods, as well as foods high in magnesium and cereal fiber, had a substantially reduced risk of stroke.
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine also confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as bananas, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.
In addition to these cardiovascular benefits, the potassium found in bananas may also help to promote bone health. Potassium may counteract the increased urinary calcium loss caused by the high-salt diets typical of most Americans, thus helping to prevent bones from thinning out at a fast rate. 

Soothing Protection from Ulcers
Bananas have long been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. In one study, a simple mixture of banana and milk significantly suppressed acid secretion. In an animal study, researchers found that fresh bananas protected the animals' stomachs from wounds.
Bananas work their protective magic in two ways: First, substances in bananas help activate the cells that compose the stomach lining, so they produce a thicker protective mucus barrier against stomach acids. Second, other compounds in bananas called protease inhibitors help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of stomach ulcers. 

Improving Elimination
Bananas are a smart move if you suffer from elimination problems. A bout of diarrhea can quickly deplete your body of important electrolytes. Bananas can replenish your stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance.
In addition, bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber (called a hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation. Bananas also contain resistant starch, but this amount varies depending on their degree of ripeness. In their lesser ripe stages, bananas score as low as 30 on the glycemic index (below 50 would be considered low). In their riper stages, this number usually rises to a moderate level in the 60's. All of the above features help place banana in a more favorable digestive light than might otherwise be expected for a sugary fruit. 

Protect Your Eyesight
Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.
In this study, which involved over over 100,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. Food intake information was collected periodically for up to 18 years for women and 12 years for men.
While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease.
Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but by simply tossing a banana into your morning smoothie or slicing it over your cereal, topping off a cup of yogurt or green salad with a half cup of berries, and snacking on an apple, plum, nectarine or pear, you've reached this goal. 

Build Better Bones with Bananas
Build better bones by eating bananas? Yes, enjoying bananas frequently as part of your healthy way of eating can help improve your body's ability to absorb calcium via several mechanisms.
Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms. When fructooligosaccharides are fermented by these friendly bacteria, not only do numbers of probiotic bacteria increase, but so does the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, gastrointestinal transit time is lessened, decreasing the risk of colon cancer.
Green bananas contain indigestible (to humans) short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are a favorite food of the cells that make up the lining of the intestines. When these cells are well-nourished and healthy, the body's ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium can increase dramatically.
Research published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences underscores just how much bananas can improve nutrient absorption. In this study, 57 male babies (5-12 months) with persistent diarrhea of at least 14 days duration were given a week's treatment with a rice-based diet containing either green banana, apple pectin or the rice diet alone. Treatment with both green banana and apple pectin resulted in a 50% reduction in stool weights, indicating that the babies were absorbing significantly more nutrients.
Also, to check how well their intestines were able to absorb nutrients, the babies were given a drink containing lactulose and mannitol. Lactulose is a compound that should be absorbed, while mannitol is one that should not be. When the intestines are too permeable, a condition clinicians call "leaky gut," too little lactulose and too much mannitol are absorbed. After just one week of being given the green banana-rice diet, the babies' were absorbing much more lactulose and little mannitol, showing that their intestines were now functioning properly.
Some banana cultivars are also rich in provitamin A carotenoids, which have been shown to protect against chronic disease, including certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. How to identify which bananas contain the most carotenoids? Check the color of their edible flesh. Bananas whose flesh is more golden contain the most carotenoids. 

Promote Kidney Health through Regular and Moderated Intake
About 190,000 cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed each year. Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and exposure to toxic chemicals such as asbestos and cadmium.
Dietary factors can be related to kidney disease in a preventive way. Research published in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that regular, moderated consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, can be protective. The results of this large population based prospective study (13.4 years) of 61,000 women aged 40-76, show that women eating more than 75 servings of fruits and vegetables per month (which translates into 2.5 per day) cut their risk of kidney cancer 40%. Among the fruits, bananas were especially protective. Women eating bananas four to six times a week halved their risk of developing the disease compared to those who did not eat this fruit.
Salads, eaten at least once a day, were associated with a 40% decreased risk. Among vegetables, frequent consumption of root vegetables and white cabbage offered the most protection, providing a 50-65% decrease in risk.
The conclusion drawn by the researchers: routine and moderated consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, cabbage and root vegetables, may reduce risk of kidney cancer. Why these foods? Bananas and many root vegetables contain especially high amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds. Cabbage is rich in sulfur compounds necessary for efficient and effective detoxification of potential carcinogens. This mixture of phytonutrients may have been particularly helpful in protecting kidney function.
The benefits of regular and moderated fruit intake need to be contrasted, however, with the increased risks that stem from very high consumption of fruit juices. In several studies examining diet and renal (kidney) cancer, very high consumption of fruit juices is associated with increased cancer risk. Since most fruit juice consumption involves highly processed fruits and stands in sharp contrast to consumption of whole, natural foods, this finding is not surprising. The reasons for avoiding high intake of fruit juice are not limited to increased risk of kidney disease, but also to problems involved with excessive sugar intake and excessive calorie intake from non-whole foods. Moderate amounts of fruit juice - especially juice containing as much of the whole fruit as possible, for example, pulp or skin - are still recommended, since these limited amounts in a balanced diet appear to be protective against kidney cancer. 

100 BUSINESS WISDOM FROM THE GREATS – 47 of 100

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